Minutes from ITC meeting on Friday 8 Feb 2002

The ITC met Friday, 8 Feb 2002. Attending were Gaddis, Crouch, Hurlbert, Yetter, Paris, Wilson, Haefner, Andrus, Chow, Keilbach, and Byerley.

MINUTES
1) We briefly discussed the status of the reorganization of IT and the ITC. The subcommittee is submitting a final document to the Chancellor. A special IT Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, 27 February 2002 at 11 am in UC 307; please mark your calendars. All three Vice Chancellors and the Chancellor will attend.

2) We discussed at length new approaches to the web strategy initiative. We expressed concern that due to getting started late, a taskforce would have a difficult time completing the objectives we've discussed. There would be considerable work involved and it was not clear that a special taskforce could effectively make a sound recommendation. While the Course Management System issue is intertwined with the platform issue, the platform issue is far more pervasive because it will not only affect web servers but email and other functions. For example, a decision to discontinue supporting UNIX would necesitate a change in email servers (not necessarily a change in the email clients that users use) while a decision to discontinue supporting WINDOWS web platform would not mean that the NT network would go away.

In the end, the Council unanimously decided that:
(a) the IT Council, not a taskforce, should make a recommendation in answer to the following question: In an effort to focus limited resources and support, should the campus reduce to supporting just one platform instead of the current two (UNIX or Windows)?
(b) If the recommendation to (a) is affirmative, then the IT Council will delegate the decision to the IT Director, in consultation with the Council.
(c) Any recommendation process to address the Course Management System will be postponed until a recommendation to (a) has been made.

It is important to note that this decision is a recommendation to the Executive Team. If approved, the IT Council will spend March and April in making its recommendation and will seek significant input from the users of the web. A strategy and process will be developed in the next few weeks. The due date for deliverables is set for the May ITC meeting.

3) A final discussion occured about the Email-as-an-official-form-of-communication policy. There are concerns that such a policy needs more time to develop. Since Boulder just enacted this policy, it makes sense to wait and see. On the other hand, we could transition into this policy by making email an official form of communication for all University employees. Jere will take this back to the Executive team and to the Policy subcommittee.

The Responsible Use policy has been initially discussed at the Deans council and has been presented to the Faculty Assembly president and to EPUS. Jere will take this to student government.

The next meeting of the ITC is set for Wednesday, 27 February at 11 am in UC 307. Note the special time and place.